Yale Law Democrats Bylaws

As Amended on March 12, 2024

Section I: Mission

The Yale Law Democrats champion the wide-ranging values and views of the Democratic Party on the local, state, and national levels. As the conduit between the Democratic Party and Yale Law School, we seek to provide the YLS community with opportunities to engage with policy issues, political campaigns, professional development, alumni networks, and exceptional speakers.

We support democratic candidates and initiatives that promote equal justice, human dignity, and the upliftment of all Americans, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all law students and appreciating a diversity of perspectives and backgrounds.

We acknowledge and appreciate the continuous efforts of students, legal professionals, and advocates in alignment with our mission.

Section II: General Membership

All Yale Law School students are eligible for general membership in the Yale Law Democrats by attending at least one general body meeting per semester, or other qualifying criteria that the Board sees fit. Membership is required to participate in elections for Board positions.

All Yale Law School students are more than welcome to participate in our programming, organizing, and advocacy, without obtaining membership. Similarly, active involvement on our committees does not necessitate membership. We welcome anyone in the community interested in educating themselves, accessing our opportunities, and advancing our work.

Section III: Executive Board

The Executive Board (“Board”) shall consist of the President, Vice Presidents, Class Representatives and Committee Members.

Board members must be current Yale Law Students.

Board members must be active Yale Law Democrats members at the time of their election or appointment and must remain in good standing.

Decisions to create, remove, modify, or combine Board roles will be made the previous academic year, before election details are shared with general members, requiring a two-thirds vote of the outgoing Executive Board.

Board members must attend the Board’s monthly board meetings, unless they provide ample prior notice to the President of a scheduling conflict or exigent circumstance.

All Executive Board members, if legally permissible, are expected to be registered voters in the United States. If possible, they should be registered Democrats. This provision is not intended to deny Executive Board membership to anyone unable to vote, but to stress the importance of leading by example.

At annual Board turnover during the Spring Semester, election procedures for the incoming Executive Board will be determined by the outgoing Board.

Incoming Executive Board members assume roles immediately upon the conclusion of each year's Board election.

The election process will be managed by the outgoing Vice President of Elections and supported by outgoing Executive Board members not running for any positions on the incoming Board.

During a term, a vacancy, excluding the President's role, will arise if the office holder resigns, fails to meet qualifications, is removed pursuant to Section III(L), or is promoted. Such vacancies will be filled upon the Board’s approval.

A Presidential vacancy will occur upon resignation, failure to meet qualifications, or removal. In such a case, the Vice President of Programming will assume the Presidential role, and the ensuing vacancy will be addressed pursuant to Section III(J).

Executive Board members can be removed through a two-thirds vote of all other Executive Board members, after being informed of the removal reasons and being allowed a response.

The President will chair Executive Board meetings, and in their absence, the Vice President of Programming will.

For in-person meetings, a quorum is established by a majority of the Executive Board. Without a quorum, no decision may be made on behalf of the Executive Board at an in-person meeting.

  1. If necessary, at the President’s discretion, a decision on behalf of the Executive Board may be made via virtual vote. In such an instance, quorum consists of the entire Executive Board.

The President may conduct all necessary business on behalf of the Executive Board if such business cannot be brought before the Board in a timely fashion; provided that, to the extent that the President has acted on behalf of the Board, any such action shall be presented to the Board at its next meeting for its approval or disapproval, and notice of any such action shall be distributed promptly to Board Members.

Section IV: Duties of the Executive Board

The Executive Board oversees all financial, legal-political, and programmatic decisions of the Yale Law Democrats.

The President's duties encompass:

  1. Long-term planning and strategizingSpearheading significant initiatives.
  2. Spearheading significant initiatives.
  3. Coordinating and conducting Executive Board meetings.
  4. Representing the Yale Law Democrats to the public and media.

The Vice Presidents' duties will correlate with their respective committees, including:

  1. Collaborating with the President to execute the mission and vision of the Yale Law Democrats.
  2. Formulating strategies, goals, and initiatives.
  3. Collaborating with on-campus and off-campus entities.Chairing meetings relevant to their committees.
  4. Chairing meetings relevant to their committees.
  5. Appointing Committee Members as needed.

Committee Members’ duties will be at the discretion of their committee and the committee’s respective Vice President.

Class representatives will have the opportunity to join the Board at the end of the Fall semester, with duties determined at the discretion of the President.

Section V: Elections

The Vice President of Elections will oversee elections for the incoming Board during the Spring semester. If the Vice President of Elections has a conflict of interest, including but not limited to their candidacy for incoming President, the outgoing President will oversee the elections process or appoint a neutral overseer with the advice and consent of unconflicted members of the outgoing Board.

Board elections must provide sufficient time to solicit candidates and for members to vote.

The President must be elected by a plurality of members. Candidates for President must have served on the Board for at least one semester. If the candidate is a first-year law student, they must be a current Board member.

Immediately following election, with advice and consent of unconflicted members of the outgoing Board, the incoming President will appoint Vice Presidents based on an application sent out to all members.

Vice Presidents need not already be Board members, but their degree of past involvement with the Yale Law Democrats should be weighted heavily in considering applications. At the last board meeting of the year, outgoing board members who haven’t applied for next year’s board will either approve or reject the incoming president’s nominations

Section VI: Yale Law Democrats Procedures and Policies

In elections for public office, the Yale Law Democrats—

  1. Shall only endorse Democratic candidates, or candidates aligned with the Mission Statement of the Yale Law Democrats as described in Section I;

The term “Democratic candidate” shall refer to—

  1. any candidate for county, state, or federal office nominated for that office by the corresponding branch of the Democratic Party, per its official procedures; or
  2. any candidate for municipal office who is a registered Democrat in the district in which they seek election.

“Candidates aligned with the Mission Statement” shall be determined by—

  1. two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, for unofficial endorsements through campaign work by Elections Fellows and general members; or
  2. majority vote of membership, for official endorsements, through a voting procedure determined by the Executive Board.

The Yale Law Democrats shall not endorse—

  1. Candidates in contested partisan primary elections; or
  2. in general elections which include more than one Democratic candidate, except for instances in which three-fourths of Board members decide that only one Democratic candidate aligns with the Mission Statement of the Yale Law Democrats.

The President may choose to suspend any provision of Section VI with a three-fourths vote of the Executive Board.

The Yale Law Democrats shall not endorse in elections for any Yale-registered student organization or any position affiliated with Yale University.

Decisions on the Yale Law Democrats’ stance on issues not directly related to candidate endorsements shall be made by the Executive Board or delegated to the general membership at the Board’s discretion.

  1. Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent individual members of the Yale Law Democrats who are not on the Executive Board from supporting or working for candidates or causes not endorsed by the Yale Law Democrats, except that Executive Board members may not aid office-seekers running against candidates endorsed by the Yale Law Democrats. When not acting as a representative of the Yale Law Democrats, members must not claim to be acting on behalf of the organization.
  2. Except for the President, any general members who purport to act or speak on behalf of the organization, without prior approval of the President or the majority of the Executive Board, may lose their good standing with the Yale Law Democrats.
  3. Any other violations of this Subsection may result in a member losing good standing with the Yale Law Democrats.

Section VII: Finances

Expenditures of any size shall be made by the discretion of the President and the Vice President of Finance, with advice and consent of the entire Executive Board.

Should any Executive Board member object to an expenditure, they may raise the issue at an Executive Board meeting and the expenditure shall be subject to a majority vote.

The Executive Board may, by majority vote, open, close, or transfer a savings or checking account on behalf of the organization.

The President and Budgetary Officer must be signatories to any account opened on behalf of the organization.

All proceeds obtained under the Yale Law Democrats’ name by any means, including donations, University allocations, and revenue from fundraising and other sales, shall be considered the property of the Yale Law Democrats and may not directly benefit any other individual except as it has been determined by a majority vote of the Executive Board. This shall not be construed to prevent use of funds for campaigning on behalf of individual candidates.

The Yale Law Democrats shall comply with all applicable federal, state, local and University financial regulations.

Section VIII: Use of the Yale Law Democrats’ Name and Logo

The Executive Board will regulate the use of the Yale Law Democrats' name and logo, ensuring alignment with Yale Law School's guidelines and these bylaws.

Section IV: Amendments

The Yale Law Democrats' bylaws may be amended with a three-fourths vote of the Executive Board.